3.3.4 Buddhist Festivals

Wesak and Paranirvana Day

Wesak

• Celebrated on the full moon during the month of Wesak, usually in May.
• This festival commemorates three major events in the Buddha's life: his birth, enlightenment, and passing into paranirvana (the final state of nibbana).
• All three events are believed to have occurred on a full moon.
• Wesak honours and remembers the teachings of the Buddha.

How Wesak is Celebrated:

• Singapore: Ceremonies where caged birds and animals are released as a symbol of liberation, signifying their release from past troubles and wrongdoings.
• Indonesia: Giant paper lanterns are lit to float up into the night sky. Light, an important symbol during the festival, represents overcoming darkness, Buddha's enlightenment, and hope.

Paranirvana Day

• A Mahayana festival celebrated in February to remember the Buddha's passing into paranirvana.
• More solemn than Wesak, it provides Buddhists with a chance to reflect on their future death and remember friends or relatives who have recently passed away, focusing on the theme of impermanence.
• Buddhists light their homes with candles, lamps, or paper lanterns and put up decorations.
• Offerings are made to the Buddha, and gifts such as food, candles, and flowers are given to monks in local monasteries.
• In return, monks may lead meditation, chant from Buddhist scriptures, or give sermons about the Buddha's teachings.
• The Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which describes the Buddha's last days, is often read on Paranirvana Day.
• Buddhists might read and reflect at home or join others for Puja in a monastery.
• Some places organise retreats for quiet meditation and reflection.
• It is also a traditional day for pilgrimage to Kushinagar in India, the site of the Buddha's death.

Kamma (Karma) and Rebirth

• Kamma is a principle explaining how the ethical impulses behind a person's actions lead to either suffering or happiness.
• Buddhism speaks of 'skilful actions' (good, ethical actions) and 'unskilful actions' (bad, unethical actions).
• Skilful actions lead to happiness, while unskilful actions lead to suffering.
• The consequences of a person's actions can be understood through habits developed by repeated behaviours. For instance:
  • Regular acts of anger make a person angry, leading to suffering.
  • An angry state of mind leads to actions such as shouting, breaking things, and creating unpleasant situations.
• Kamma illustrates that people are not punished or rewarded by their actions but that their actions impact future rebirth.
• Depending on a person's kamma, they may be reborn in one of six realms: the realm of gods, angry gods, animals, tormented beings, hungry ghosts, or humans. The human realm is considered the best for gaining enlightenment.
• Kamma empowers Buddhists by giving them control over their future through their present actions. By practising skilful actions and states, they can live happier lives and have a more pleasant rebirth.

Buddhist Ethics

• 'Right action' is a key element of the eightfold path, making moral, ethical, and skilful actions important for reducing suffering and reaching enlightenment.
• The concept of Kamma is central to Buddhist ethics, benefiting the whole community through skilful actions.

Revision Activities:

1. Write a short story illustrating how a Buddhist's actions cause either suffering or happiness and how this affects their rebirth.
2. Discuss whether intention or consequence is more important when considering an action.